Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- sentimental
- melancholic
- tragic
- romantic movie night
- emotional drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded the film as an overstuffed, mawkish melodrama whose interconnected storytelling and emotional emphasis were less effective than its cast's performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The narrative pulses between New York and Spain, following couples and descendants whose experiences reverberate across generations.
The story incorporates traumatic accidents, parental deaths, suicide, cancer, and difficult childhood experiences into its family saga.
The consequences of the New York couple's experiences extend to their child and to a later family in Spain.
The plot connects New York City and Carmona, Spain, including an intercultural relationship and an international ensemble.
Films like Life Itself, and why
The Family Stone
multigenerational romantic drama using interconnected lives, traumatic reversals, and emotionally explicit storytelling
The Joy Luck Club
intergenerational family saga shaped by romance, grief, coincidence, and melodramatic emotional catharsis
Babel
interwoven relationship drama connecting separated characters across countries and generations
If Beale Street Could Talk
romantic melodrama centered on fate, family bonds, loss, and life-changing accidents
Movie Details
- Director
- Dan Fogelman
- Release Date
- 2018-09-21
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (649)
Cast
- Oscar Isaac
- Olivia Wilde
- Annette Bening
- Antonio Banderas
- Samuel L. Jackson
- Olivia Cooke
- Mandy Patinkin
- Jean Smart
- Sergio Peris-Mencheta
- Laia Costa
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Life Itself about?
- A sprawling New York-and-Spain family saga turns romance, grief, and coincidence into an unabashed meditation on how lives echo across generations.
- What is Life Itself like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Life Itself as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Life Itself violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Life Itself as moderate.
- What did critics think of Life Itself?
- Critics broadly regarded the film as an overstuffed, mawkish melodrama whose interconnected storytelling and emotional emphasis were less effective than its cast's performances.
- Which films are like Life Itself?
- Films with a similar feel include The Family Stone, The Joy Luck Club, Babel, and If Beale Street Could Talk.
- How long is Life Itself?
- Life Itself runs 118 minutes.
- Where can I watch Life Itself?
- In United States, Life Itself streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
